FNESC has advanced First Nations control of First Nations education in BC by supporting First Nations to achieve jurisdiction agreements to exercise law-making authority over Kindergarten to Grade 12 education on their lands. Seven First Nations have signed formal education jurisdiction agreements.

In Bill 40, FNESC co-developed amendments to the BC School Act to improve First Nation student learning outcomes through relationships and processes that respect the inherent authority and role of First Nation governments, parents and communities in the education of their children and youth. The 2023 amendments address Local Education Agreements, Indigenous Education Councils, and First Nation Schools of Choice.

FNESC negotiated the 2018 BC Tripartite Education Agreement: Supporting First Nations Student Success (BCTEA), as witnessed by the First Nations Schools Association, which supports all First Nations learners, regardless of where they live or attend school. BCTEA provides a flexible and effective funding model for First Nations schools and funding for a comprehensive collection of second and third level services to support the BC First Nations education system. The Agreement was extended to 2025.

FNESC has successfully advocated for an Indigenous-focused graduation requirement that requires all students to take four credits of Indigenous-focused coursework to graduate from secondary school with a Dogwood Diploma. This transformative change to the Graduation Program represents an important next step toward lasting and meaning reconciliation, providing all BC students with the necessary time and opportunity to develop deeper understandings of the experiences, cultures, and histories of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

FNESC has helped achieve the First Nations Mandated Post-Secondary Institutes Act (2024), which reflects the integral role of First Nations-mandated institutes as a key pillar of BC’s post-secondary system and commits the Province to contribute ongoing operational funding and capacity funding for eligible institutes.